


Gratitude

by feithne



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Crushes, F/F, Fluff, Nobody Is Paying Attention to the Lecture, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 20:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3704449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feithne/pseuds/feithne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That's all it is. Just gratitude. Nothing else.</p><p>Feeling this way is normal. Everything you feel for Max Caulfield is completely normal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gratitude

**Author's Note:**

> I named Kate's bunny Trixie. Because, you know. Trix. Rabbits. Kate would so name her bunny after a cereal mascot and I think that's a trait we can all respect.

That's all it is. Just gratitude. Nothing else.

Feeling this way is normal. Everything you feel for Max Caulfield is completely normal.

You tell yourself that again and again, and maybe if you remind yourself enough it'll start to sound convincing. These feelings are strange and you want more than anything to place them and define them in terms you can understand, but you can't, so instead you try to focus on taking notes and pretending the new photography teacher is just as good as Mr. Jefferson was, and that everyone doesn't blame you for his dismissal.

Not everyone, you softly remind yourself. There's at least one person who doesn't blame you for what happened. She's sitting just behind you to the left, like always. She's probably fiddling with her camera right now, or maybe she's drawing something silly in her notebook. You suppose she could be taking notes, but knowing Max, that's not especially likely. The only way to know for sure would be to briefly glance over at her, but you've done that at least three times in this period already and the last time it happened it was hard to look away. Looking at Max evokes something irresistibly warm inside you, but you don't really understand what it is.

Except it's gratitude. Of course it's gratitude. It's gratitude to the girl who saved you from taking your own life. The girl who stood by you and supported you at every turn. Max is your friend who cares about you and reminds you that there's good in the world. When you'd lost faith in everything you ever believed in and were ready to throw your life away, your _friend_ Max Caulfield was there with open arms to catch you, and you are very _grateful_ for that. That's what the feeling is. It has to be.

Reassured, at least for the moment, you manage to open your notebook and resolve to actually start paying attention to the lecture. Except when you flip past the notes you took yesterday, the page you find isn't blank. Rather, it's the opposite of blank. It's completely covered in post-it notes with encouraging messages and cute doodles, mostly of Trixie. And there in the center is Max's smiling face, with you fast asleep on her shoulder. You remember the moment fondly, albeit with more than a little embarrassment. You'd felt so content relaxing with Max that leaning against her just seemed like the most natural thing in the world, and before you knew it, you were out like a light. Of course Max had taken a photo of it. She's not the Selfie Queen of Blackwell for nothing. But you're glad she took the shot. Seeing yourself looking so peaceful next to her, you can't help but smile.

“ _Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”_

Back then, you'd felt certain that God had forsaken you, just like everyone else had. After all, if He hadn't, then why would He have allowed things to happen the way they did? But more and more often you find yourself thinking that maybe, just maybe, He saw your suffering and sent a guardian angel to guide and protect you. It was a miracle that Max had even made it to the roof in time to save you, but she has a knack for being an Everyday Hero. She rescued you from David, she rescued you from the roof, and her constant support rescues you from despair every day.

Your resistance breaks. You turn to your left and gaze at your friend unabashedly, imagining what she would look like with wings and a halo – but there's no real need to imagine. When Max notices you smiling at her, she smiles back so radiantly that any other angels looking on would surely be jealous.

Your heart starts pounding, those strange feelings return to your chest, stronger than ever before. You feel like if you opened your mouth they would burst forth from you, probably as a song. About Max. And how she's pretty and great and the best friend ever. So instead you just let your smile grow bigger and bigger until it matches Max's in intensity.

You finally get it.

Feeling this way is normal. Everything you feel for Max Caulfield is completely normal.

You're pretty sure you have a crush on Max Caulfield.


End file.
